Shardminds
Shardminds are fragments of the crystalline meteor that collided with Tolas at Shardfall. The majority dwell in Spires of the Amaran Sea though individuals and isolated settlements can be found throughout the world wherever fragments of the Shard fell. History Before Impact Before the Shard made impact upon Tolas, it served as the grand mothership of the illithid. The crystalline dreadnought contained tens of thousand of gemstone resonators, each holding a unique consciousness. Some of these were artificial minds, created to serve the illithid. Others contained the minds of illithid, placed their for preservation or as punishment for crimes committed. Shardfall The Shard crashed into Tolas in the year 0SF. Countless crystal fragments were scattered around the world, some breaking off during entry, others after impact. As these shards were exposed to the primordial energies of Tolas, the minds contained within developed the ability to manipulate their crystalline housing, shaping them into bodies. The first shardminds to emerged from the Amaran Sea but in time individuals or small groups of three or four would be found wandering the world, often with fractured memories. Illithid Agents Shardminds have since spread throughout Tolas. Most view them as harmless oddities or assume them to be some form of elemental. The dangerous truth of the shardminds is that many are puppets to the illithid. Some who are former illithid, use their new bodies to prey upon the unsuspecting, dragging them below to the Boneways. Others are more akin to sleeper agents, either subconsciously acting in the best interests of the illithid or as waiting pawns to be influenced. Physiology The entire body of a shardmind is made from the crystal of the Shard that slowly grows as they age as well as replacing lost fragments. A shardmind's body will grow to best fit the mind within. A humanoid frame is most common but facial structure, height other appendages, such as tails or wings, can vary from individual to individual. A shardmind's colour depends on the energies that it absorbed upon impact. For instance, those that emerged on dry land bear a red hue to their bodies whilst those from the Amaran Sea have a purple tinge to theirs. Psychology Most shardminds are those that fulfilled set purposes upon the Shard. These shardminds are typically naive or even robotic in nature but can learn and adapt quickly. A shardmind will often find themselves strongly drawn to a pursuit that matched the purpose they were designed to fulfill upon the Shard. Another kind of shardminds are those that were one illithid. Stripped of their bodies, their need to consume brains and sometimes their memories, they are much apart from their fleshy kin. The Shard did not break uniformly and the fragments that shardminds grow from can contain more than one consciousness. These consciousnesses may also be a mix of illithid and artificial. This can manifest as vying personas, unfamiliar memories or as an entirely new, blended personality. Those Shardminds that emerge independent of the Spires of the Amaran will often have remained dormant for years, their psionic abilities reaching out to read the minds of the various creatures that surround them. An example of this is Thatone, a shardmind whose personality was influenced by the people in the village above the crystal from which he sprung. Rules Shardmind - Pathfinder *Shardminds are Outsiders with the Native subtype. *Medium Size *Normal Speed of 30ft *Ability Scores: +2 Int, +2 Con and -2 Dex. Shardminds have great potential of mental advancement and have a tough crystalline body that makes them durable but slow to react. *Languages: Shardminds start of knowing Common and Undercommon and they may add one of the following languages for each +1 Int they have; Elvish, Underdwarven, Overdwarven, Draconic, Aquan and Tũanish. *Crystalline Form: +2 AC vs ray attacks and once per day can deflect a ray attack as if using the Deflect Arrows feat. *Natural Armour: +1 Natural Bonus to AC. *Shards of the Past: Pick two knowledge skills, these become class skills regardless of your class' skill choices and you also gain an additional +2 bonus to these checks. *Darkvision 60ft. *Shardminds do not need to eat or breath but do require sleep. Shardmind - 5E * Ability Scores: Con +2; Choose any +1 * Age: '''Shardminds grow to full size over the course of 5 years. There is no known limit to a shardmind's lifespan. * '''Size: Your size is Medium * Speed: 30 ft. * Language: You can read, and write Common and one other language. * Crystalline Form: Shardmind's have some control over their form, which shapes to best fit their mind. Choose one addition to your form at level 1st level and a second addition at 5th level. In addition, you do not need to eat or breath. ** Gemstone Glide: You have crystal fins or wings that you can use to slow your fall or allow you to glide. When you fall and aren't incapacitated, you can subtract up to 100 feet from the fall when calculating falling damage, and you can move up to 2 feet horizontally for every 1 foot you descend. ** Grappling Appendage: You have two special appendages alongside your arms. As an action, you can use one of them to try to grapple a creature. Each one is also a natural weapon, which you can use to make an unarmed strike. If you hit with it, the target takes slashing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. Immediately after hitting, you can try to grapple the target as a bonus action. These appendages can't precisely manipulate anything and can't wield weapons, magic items, or other specialized equipment. ** Rigidity: Your body is made if more rigid crystal than most. You gain a +1 bonus to AC when you're not wearing heavy armor. ** Shard Spray: As an action, you can expel a spray of razor like fragments, targeting one creature or object you can see within 30 feet of you. The target takes 2d10 slashing damage unless it succeeds on a Dexterity saving throw against a DC equal to 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. This damage increases by 1d10 when you reach 11th level (3d10) and 17th level (4d10). You can use this trait a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest. ** Nimble Climber: You have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. ** Ambient Glow: As an action, you can give off bright light in a 30-foot radius and dim light for an additional 30 feet. You can deactivate this effect at any time. Category:Races Category:Shardmind Category:Homerules Category:Farthrone